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Patented Aug- 16, .1921.

F e. c. RINCKER.

GASIFICATION OF SOLID FUEL.

- APPLICATION HLED OCT-4, 1919. 1,388,145

v 7 WWW/ WMQ easrrrca'rlolvor SOLID FUEL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 16 1 921.

Application filed Qctober 4, 1919. Serial No. 328,462.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRIEDRICH Gonrmnn CARL RrNoKnR, subject of the Queen of the Netherlands, residing at \Vatergra'afsmeer, in the Kingdom of the Netherlands,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to the Gasification of Solid Fuel,.of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is a process for the production of gas for lighting, heating or power and other purposes, from solid fuel such as coal, lignite, wood, wood-waste and the like by the use of generators or a pair of cooperating generators.

The essential feature of the present in vention consists in the utilization of watergas for the direct gasification of solid fuel such as coal, lignite, peat, wood, wood-waste and the like. The invention is further characterized in that in practice one generator is charged with coke, or steam is introduced into the coke charge therein for the production of water-gas and the water-gas so produced is led into the other generator for the purpose of gasifying the solid fuel therein. This operation is continued as long as gas continues to be evolved from the first generator and until the gasifiable fuel in the second generator is completely transformed into coke and all gas existing in the gasifying solid fuel and remaining by-products such as tar, ammonia and other gases have been completely or almost entirely expelled.

The process is then continued in the re verse. direction. The first generator in which the generation of watengas took place is charged with fresh quantities of the gasifi-- able materials, and also with'coal, lignit'e', peat,v-oo'.l, wood-waste and the like while steam is admitted to the second generator in which the material to be gasified was convc'lted into coke in order to convert the fresh quantities of the 'gasiliable materials therein into gas and by-products such as tar, am-

mount and other compounds.

The mass of coke which is alternately in each generator of the pair of generatorsls raised to the required temperature in any suitable and convenient manner'as for example by ablast of air directed on the pre viously heated charge of coke.

In orderithat the invention --may be clearly understood reference is made to the accompanying drawing which shows by way of example in vertical section a constructional in operation alternately in accordance with the aforesaid method of operation; 0, a

are two passages or pipes connecting the two generators with each other at the upper ends. d is a suitable valve disposed between the passages c, '0 which valve prevents the escape of the gases in one generator during the hot blast to the other generator, the said valve being open when the evolved watergas flows to the other generator. 6, e are conduits at the lower part of the generators for the purpose of admitting steam for the generation of water-gas. f, f are pipes for the supply of air to the generators, which are provided with cut-off valves g, g". h, h are fines for the escape of the products of combustion of waste gases from the upper part of the generators. The lines it, h are provided with closing covers '5, i. These covers are used to close the fines h, h when the generator in which the water-gas is being generated attains the required temperature. k, k are pipes which lead the evolved" gas mixture to the receiver Z or Z according to the direction in which the plant is being operated. The gas mixture escapes from the receivers Z, Z to the purifying plant and from thence is led to the gas holders. n, n

are valves inserted in the pipes in, is which valves serve to lead the evolved gas-mixture to the receivers 7, Z or to confine the said gas in accordance with the direction ofworking. 0, 0 are openings through which fresh quantities of. fuel or gasifiable material are alternately fed to the generators.

p, p are doors through which the waste material can be removed.

The method of operation is as follows: Assume the operation is commenced with the generator (I. which is chargedwith' coke,

while al the same time the other generator Z) is filled with any suitable solid fuel, from which the desired gas can be generated. If it be desired to obtain roalgas and its by- -products, the generator I) is charged with coal. If the gas from brc vn coal oflignite be desired, the generator is charged with brown coal or lignite. T he'cokecharged generator is thereafter heated in the usual manner and raised to the desired temperatorn by the pipe .110 ture and air is then admit-tedto thegenerw' the cover 'oi' the flue h'isolosed in order to prevent the escape "of the water-gas gener During the whole period of operation of the air blast, the valve d remains ciosed in order to prevent the flow. of waste gas to the generator ?J. ()n the other hand the valve (Z is opened, if working is eli'ected in the opposite or reverse direction, that is, when in the succeeding periodof working the waten gas is produced in the generator 6 and is led to the generator a. The evolved wastegas escapes by the flue it, either to the atmosphere or itcan 'he used in any known man: nor for heating or other purposes. As soon as the coke in the'generator a. acquires the, dey sired temperature, steam isadmitted thereto. by the pipe eand the gas-period for. the production of water gas begins. i

The air admission pipe; to the generator ais then closed. Simultaneously therewith,

ated and the valvedinthe passage or conduit c is opened, in order to allow the produced water-gas to flow tothegenerator 6. Simultaneously therewith the cook '11! is opened so 'asto' allow the mixture of gases v to escape through the outlet to the re/ ceiver Z. 1 h

The water-gas produced in the generator a now flows through thevalve alto the generator b and this gas evolution period continues as long as asatisfactory evolu'tionof,

watengasltakes place inthe generator a. The. water-gas producedf in the generator 0 possesses an average temperature of about.

1000 centigrade. By bringing this volume of highly heated water-gas into contact with the gasifiaole mass '(coal, brown coal or' lignite, peat, wood, wood-waste and the like) contained inthe cold or non-heated condition in the generator I; gases are. produced therein from the known materials. These gases are led from thegenerato'r b by the pipe is" through the valve a to the receiver Zv and thence by the pipe m to the purifying plant, and then to thegas holders.

The gasifiable material '11 the generator} is simultaneously converted fiiito. coke, or similar substanoe-'--and'-this uantity of coke now serves for the pmatceo pf water-gas when workingthe plant-i151 theoppositeor reverse directionl g When the charge "of coke in the generator,

a has decreasedito such an extent thatthe closed yield of ar are therein '1 is j considered ,insufficient, the; traction of workifigjis'then reversed. '1 Kori valve 42 is 01 i i of the-flush 1s .0 "enedl The cock orvalve the valve"d [hetween the passage 6?, c' is The coke the geherator 3) result. ing from the preceding gaseous movement,

which charge shows a temperature of about,

800 0., is no longer heated to the required mes es the generator I) is raised to the required tem-,

perature; and steam is supplied to the generator I) through thepipe e the flow of gas begins. As soon as the temperature required for the flow of pas-is reaohed,the cover i of the flue h and the cock g of the air blast f pipe f are-closed. The valve d and the va ve n cooperating with the generator (1 areopened. The watergas evolved in the generator b is now led by the pipe 0, valve d, pipe 0 to the generator 0: which is previously charged with gasifiable material also 5 with coal, lignite, peat, wood, woodqvaste 4 and there thus ensues onthe onehand the conversion of :this material intoa kind of I coke which in the succeeding working period is used again for the production of water-gas, and on the other hand a mixtureof water as andcoal-gas or the like isproduced which is led to the receiver I through the pipe. is and the valven, the gas in the rej ceiver Z passing to the purifyingplant by holders. I i I This method of'operation may obviously be repeated as often as desired.

the pipe m and then to th'e g-a-s holder or f The gas mixture evolved in-the' generator consists obviously of a mixture on the one hand of water-gas and on the other hand of such other gases as may hedistilled from the gasifiable material, andin the case of i the gasificationot ooahof coal-gas and its by-p'roducts. In the ease, of the gasification of brown coal or lignitethe mixture would consist of watengas arid the gas evolved from the lignite together a with its 'byproducts.

The amount 4 bfta'rfammonia and other hy-produots remaining-1n the receivers Z, Z' "inav be utilized in any lrnownmanner.

-. The technicaland economic advance ef-j stated as follows:

indirect heating.

with water as heretofore practised'is thus avoided.

perature, and there is no need i li reiiiovingfit Having described my invention, wha'tI cla m 18';

A method for producing gas from solid .feoted by the present inventionmay he Second, that the considerable. loss of heat consequent on the removal. ,of the incan The further advantageiof thisl rhethodcon j' sists in the fact that when the operations are H v reversed, the coke is already at a tern? residue of coke before it has substantially cooled, the coke being at a sufficiently high temperature to cause the production of water gas-and then passing the water gas so produced without any substantial lowering of the temperature thereof, through another mass of fuel for the purpose of producin gases from said other mass, the said fuel being always at a lower temperature than the water gas acting thereon, and the mix ture of water gas and gases produced from said fuel being led directly to a receiver.

2. A method of producing gas from solid fuel such as coal andthe like, which consists in passing steam through a body of hot coke in an inclosed region so as to produce water gas at high temperature, passing the said water gas without any substantial lowering of its temperature to a second region and allowing it to act in the said second region u on a body of fuel such as coal and the like, which is at a lower temperature than said water gas, until the coke in the first region has been consumed and the coal in the second region has been substantially transformed into coke, then heating the coke in the second region before any substantial cooling thereof until the introduction of steam therein will produce water gas at a high temperature and leading the said water gas without any substantial loss of heat, to a mass ofcoal or the like located in the said first region.

3. A method of producing gas from solid fuel such as coal and the like, which consists in passing steam through a body of hot coke in an inclosed region so as to produce water gas at high temperature, passing the said water gas without any substantial lowering of its temperature to a second region and allowing it to act in the said second region upon a body of fuel such as coal andthe'.

like, which is at a lower tempera ure than said water gas, until the coke in the first region has been consumed and the coal in the second region has been substantially transformed into coke, then heating the coke V in the second region before any substantial T cooling thereof until the introduction of steam therein will produce water gas at a high temperature and lfiding the said water gas without any substantial loss of heat, to a mass of coal or the like located in the said first region, the mixture of water gas and gas produced from the said fuel being always lead directly to a receiver without any substantial loss of heat.

4. A method of producing gasfrom solid fuel such as coal and the like, which consists in passing steam through a body of hot coke in an inclosed region so as to produce water gas, the temperature of said hot coke and steam being such that the said water vas has a temperature of at least 1000',C. passing the said water gas Without any substantial lowering of its temperature to a second region and allowing it to act in the said sec- 0nd region upon a body of fuel such as coal and the like which is at a temperature less than 1000 C. until the coal in the said second region has been substantially trans: formed into coke at, a temperature of not less than 800 0., then heating the coke in the second region until the introduction of steam therein will produce water gas at a temperature of not less than 1000 C. and leading the said water gas without any substantial loss of heat to a mass of coal or the like located in the first region. a

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

FRIEDRHIH GODFRIED CARL RINCKER. 

